Youth of the Nation
by TwistedRaver
Summary: INDEFINITE HIATUS: No one was going to take care of them; no one cared who they really were. No one wanted to know them. So they leave. They run away. And maybe they’ll learn something along the way. AU
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Youth of the Nation**  
Summary:** No one was going to take care of them; no one cared who they really were. No one wanted to know them. So they leave. They run away. And maybe they'll learn something along the way. AU  
**Pairings?:** Not sure if they'll be any...But I know that they'll be implied in some kind of way.

_"Last day of the rest of my life, I wish I would've known, 'cause I didn't kiss my mama goodbye"---Youth of the Nation by P.O.D.__  
_

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. Not Naruto. Not the song that inspired this story. So please enjoy.

* * *

The pink haired girl ran to her room panting. She closed the door and put a chair under the door knob. She picked up her back pack and dumped out her school stuff and went to stuffing it with clothes.

"I've got to get out of here." She muttered frantically to herself. Her mumbles stopped when the banging on the door began. And she froze and stared at it.

"Sakura! Open this fucking door!" Her step father a brute man yelled. She zipped up her bag and ran to her window throwing it out on the ground. The moment she swung her leg over the window sill the door was busted open. Sakura gasped, but swung her other leg over and climbed down jumping before she was even half way down.

The last thing Sakura heard from him while running down the street where the yells of his threats.

* * *

Hinata Hyuuga walked into her room, pissed off. It wasn't likely that the shy, calm girl got angry. But she was sick of everything. Her uptight family, her father expectations for her, and the mistreatment her father had toward her cousin Neji. She didn't understand it. Hinata was always called weak, and useless but her father was constantly telling her that she would take over the business one day and she would agree.

She had no interest in the company, and to prove that point she brought up that she thought that Neji would have been a better choice to take over the company. She gave valid points though her father shot them down and turned on Neji. Asking how much he bullied her into saying what she did. And what made her even angrier was that Neji did not defend himself like he normally would have. It was as though he simply didn't care anymore. It was like that for the last couple of days actually.

Standing up Hinata grabbed her bag and packed clothes into it. Done doing that, she left her room quietly and knocked on the door next to hers. The door opened to reveal her cousin standing there looking at her strangely.

"Neji…Can I come in?" She asked in her quiet voice. Again Neji looked at her with a strange look but stepped aside closing the door.

"What is it?" He asked crossing his arms.

"Neji I think we ought to leave." She said boldly. Neji raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. "I know, it's stupid…And really strange coming from me…Not to mention father would think you'd kidnapped me…but I think it's time to go."

"Are you sick Hinata?" He asked. Hinata shook her head. "You're serious…" Neji rubbed the bridge of his nose before sighing. "There's nothing to lose, I suppose."

* * *

The blond boy sat on his roof seeing as there was no one at home. Not like that was a surprise. They were never home, and when they were they were still working. Not even to stop and mentioning a hello to their only son. It was times like this that Naruto wondered why he'd even stayed there that long. He'd practically raised himself and they got all the damn credit when he did something 'good'. That's why he decided to be the clown, may they'll notice...they never did.

Naruto was pulled from his thoughts when he saw a friend of his walking down the street. Every now and then turning to look over their shoulder as if being chased.

"Oi! Sakura-chan!" The girl jumped and turned toward the boy before looking over her shoulder once more. "What are you doing out so late?" He asked.

"Um. Naruto. I can't talk…I've…I've got to go…" Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"Sakura…Are you running away?" He asked her. Sakura didn't say anything which made the blond stand up on his roof with a sad smile on his face. "I guess this mean we're finally going to take that road trip." He said. Sakura stared up at him and shook her head.

"Naruto, you don't…" He cut her off.

"I'll be right down. I'll call the teme too. He's slowly going insane; the fresh air will do him some good." Before Sakura could reply he had already went inside and closed the window.

* * *

All he was to everyone was the Uchiha boy. Everyone pitied him, even the girls that claimed to like him, they only pitied him, and that's why he hated everyone and everything. Sasuke lost both his parents one night in a car crash; he was there and so was his older brother Itachi. From that moment Sasuke and Itachi lived alone. Both boys were independent. Sasuke had stopped depending on his older brother a long time ago, but that didn't mean he still wasn't pissed or upset when his brother left in the middle of the night.

And when people find out about that, 15 year old Itachi left. 12 year old Sasuke was pitied even more. And for the last three years he's loathed more than anyone could think possible. Sasuke's trip down memory lane ended when the phone on his bedside table rang. He flipped open the offending object and placed it to his ear.

"Dobe…" He said into the phone.

_"One day it's going to be someone else teme."_ The voice said. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"What do you want?" Sasuke asked. He could clearly hear Naruto rummaging through things on the other line.

_"Well Sasuke. I saw Sakura and guess what."_ Naruto told his friend.

"Naruto…" Sasuke said in a dangerous tone.

_"Ok. We'll she's leaving…Like running away. And I'm going with her. Want to come?"_ Naruto asked causally as though he were asking to go to the mall. Sasuke looked around his room quietly for a long time. _"Hello? Teme? You still there?"_

"Hn. Just thinking…" He trailed off. This was his chance to get away from the crazy fangirls and all the adults afraid of making the boy shatter.

_"So are you going or what?" _Naruto asked clearly he was getting impatient.

"Meet you at the bridge."

* * *

"Tenten be a doll and get me and my friends something to drink." A woman said to the girl with the two buns that adored her head. Tenten growled slightly as she went into the kitchen and fixed their alcoholic drinks. It was completely against the law for her to be dealing with the liquid, but not by her mother's terms.

Tenten fixed the drinks and wanted nothing more than anything to spit in the one she was going to give to her mother, but alcohol killed most germs.

"Thanks, hun. You can go to you room now." She said

"Oh thanks for the permission." Tenten mumbled before retiring to her room.

It was always like that. Most people knew Tenten because of who her mother was. No one wanted to know her for Tenten. They'd see her and normally ask _Oh you're that Irootoko_(1)_ kid. How long until you snap? _Yeah no one knew her for great things, only that her father went missing some odd years and the only thing they found was his pinky finger…It was thought and believed that her mother killed him...Though no evidence was ever found.

Tenten sighed as she stared up at her ceiling. It was times like this she wanted to get away. For once go somewhere where no one could possible know who she or her family was. Konoha was definitely not a place for her at the moment. She picked up her phone and decided to dial the only person in her small group of friends that she talked to constantly.

"Hello? Neji?" She asked even though she knew it was him. He always picked up when she called.

_"Hn. Tenten."_

"Where are you?" She asked when she heard the sound of cars in the background. She glanced at the clock, a quarter until midnight and there were cars in the background…Hyuugas were always home before ten-thirty.

_"We're heading through your neighborhood."_ He said causing the brown haired girl to raise an eyebrow.

"What? You and who?" She asked looking out her window to see if she can see them.

_"Hinata."_ He replied.

"What Hinata!?…What the fuck are you guys up to?" She asked him.

_"Hn. We're running away, Tenten. Hinata's idea...I thought she was . I knew how pissed you'd be if we didn't take you with us so we were coming to get you personally." _

"You should have called me; I would have been out there already! I'll be down in no time!" Tenten hung up and packed her bag. She peaked outside her room and walked passed her mother.

"Where are you going?" Her mother asked her head lying on the shoulder of some guy.

"To walk the dog." Tenten said. Her mother smiled in her drunken state.

"Oh well then can you pick me up some things from the quickie mart?"

"Yeah yeah whatever. Bye." Sometimes Tenten liked having a completely waste of a human as her parent.

* * *

Ino sat outside with her neighbor and childhood friend Shikamaru. Shikamaru of course was only out there because of the constant bickering of his parents. Ino on the other hand was out there because her parents just wouldn't talk to one another. The silence is excruciating.

"You know Shikamaru I've been thinking lately…" Ino said breaking the silence. Shikamaru looked at her lazily.

"And?" He questioned.

"I was thinking about taking the first bus out of here." She said looking over at him.

"You mean runaway, Ino?" Shikamar asked.

"Yeah. Just get the hell out of here. I mean our parents are so fucking absorbed in their lives that they've blocked us out of it."

"And you think that running from them would make it better?"

"Think about it Shika…When the school called to report that you had skipped three classes...What did your parents say?"

"They told the school never to call again unless I were in a body cast…" Shikamaru said.

"And you really want to stick around?" She asked.

"Ino. Of course not. It's just going to be so troublesome."

"Come on Shikamaru…I think it's about time we got out of here, teach what it's like to be forgotten. To wonder when they'll ever be coming home again. It's our turn." She said. Shikamaru sighed and rubbed his face.

"What a drag…I'll meet you back here in a few minutes…" Ino smiled and ran back to her house sneaking through the window.

* * *

**(1) Irootoko- Tenten's last name in my other story, Welcome to Camp. It means Lady Killer.**

**So I was listening to this song and it kind of hit me with inspiration. I had to write it. I hope you liked it. If not...Oh well. I believe that after Welcome to Camp is over this will be my main story...**

**Please Review if you liked it!**

**-TwilightRaver**

**Ps. Happy Holidays  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**So here's chapter 2. Thank you to **_**jaberjazz**_** for reviewing! I really appreciate it. And thank you to those that just read it. Hope that more of you review this time around. XD**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto.

* * *

Naruto and Sakura stood at the end of the bridge waiting for their raven haired friend to show up. He was taking forever, and it was making Sakura antsy.

"Where the hell is he Naruto? I thought you said he was coming." She said turning toward the blond. Naruto shrugged.

"He's coming, Sakura-chan. Why are you so jumpy anyway?" He asked her. Sakura shook her.

"It's nothing, Naruto. The faster we get out of here, the better." Naruto nodded and looked in the direction his best friend's home was. He could clearly see a figure in the distance, walking in a leisurely pace. And he knew it was him.

Sasuke looked at them, his bag on his back. "Yo." Sakura rolled her eyes before turning.

"About damn time, what took you so long?" She asked as the three friends headed toward the bus station.

"Hn. I'm here now right?" Sasuke inquired. Sakura sighed but picked up her pace. Sasuke looked at Naruto with a raised eyebrow. "What's her problem?" He asked. Naruto shrugged as he pulled his bag up higher on his shoulder. Sasuke looked at the pink haired girl and watched as she looked at them over her shoulder.

"Could you walk any slower?" She growled.

* * *

"So you mean to tell me, that you, Hinata, queen of everything good in the world. Decided that you wanted to run away from home, and some how managed to get him, Neji, king of the cold hearted organization to go with you…Are you sick, Hina-chan?" Tenten asked as the three of them walked in the direction of the bus station.

"I'm not sick Tenten…I'm human…And everyone has their limit." Hinata told her. Tenten couldn't disagree with her on that.

"Makes sense…What do you think will happen in the morning when the two of you don't show up for breakfast?" Tenten asked them.

"They'll start looking for Hinata." Neji said.

"And you Neji?"

"If I'm lucky they'll forget about me." He answered.

"What about you Tenten?" Hinata asked after it got silent between them. The brown haired girl laughed a little before going serious.

"The moment she's sober and doesn't have a hangover, she'll start to worry."

* * *

"Shikamaru, can you please pick up the pace?" Ino asked her friend. She heard him sigh but he was walking in sync with her now.

"Is this better for you blondie?" He asked her. Ino smiled slightly before looking at him.

"Much better lazy ass." She responded. Shikamaru rolled his eyes.

"Where are we going anyway? I mean after we get to the bus station that is." He inquired.

"Who cares? We're getting out of here!" Ino said smiling at him. He couldn't help but smirk.

"I was half expecting you to stop and turn to go home." Shikamaru said truthfully. Ino shook her head.

"Not a chance. Plus we're almost there. You would have thrown a fit if I had." She said. Shikamaru glared at her slightly.

"Ino. I don't throw fits." He said. Ino laughed.

"You do Shika. For a genius you don't know much about yourself." Shikamaru stopped walking and stared after the girl for a moment. "Come on Shikamaru, if we don't get there now, we'll be forced to look at this place for another five hours."

* * *

"Where's the next bus out of here going?" Sakura asked the tired old man at the counter. He sighed and looked at the time sheet.

"The only bus will be here soon and will be leaving in about half an hour after it's arriveal. And it's heading to Suna…Young lady. You do know that's a 16 hour ride…And it's a school night…" Sakura ran a hand down her face.

"I know what kind of night it is…" She mumbled. She turned and looked at Sasuke and Naruto. "The bus is heading to Suna. It's the only one leaving this late." Naruto perked up.

"Suna? I know some one that lives there." He said. They ignored him.

"Hn." Sasuke walked up to the counter and pulled out some money. "We'll take three." He said.

"Young man, it's awfully late…" Sasuke glared at the man, he was getting business from three teenagers in the middle of the night, why couldn't he sell the damn tickets?

"Yeah we know, now can we _please_ have our tickets." The old man shook his head but printed out the small tickets, as he did he mumbled something about kids and how in his day they were at home sleep and knew when to take a hint.

"Have a safe trip." He mumbled to them. But unfortunate for him, his night with teenagers was not over yet.

Sasuke handed Sakura and Naruto their tickets, which they placed in their pockets. They began to head toward the booth to wait for their bus to show up. But had stopped in their tracks when they heard an oddly familiar voice.

"Forehead?" Sakura turned and looked at the person, and saw that she stood with one other person.

"Ino-pig…What are you two doing here?" Sakura asked.

"Obviously on our way out of here…" Shikamaru answered. "I'll go buy the tickets." He mumbled walking away toward the counter.

"Well this is unexpected…" Ino said more to herself than to the other three standing in front of her. Sakura opened her mouth to say something but cut off by Naruto.

"Hey look! Over there at that counter! Hinata-chan!!!" He yelled waving at the three that had just finished paying for their tickets. From far away Hinata blushed but waved back to them as she and the others walked over to the group.

"How interesting…" Neji mumbled as they stopped in front of the group.

"What are you guys doing here?" Tenten asked, even if it was the obvious. No one said anything as Shikamaru walked back up them. He studied everyone and sighed before staring up at the sky.

"Are you all going to Suna?" Hinata asked quietly. Some nodded while others did nothing. No one said anything as the bus pulled up, things where running through everyone's mind. _How is it that we're all here tonight?

* * *

_**So that's my chapter two. I hope you enjoyed it. When I say bus I mean those commercial buses, the ones with the comfy seats and TVs. Anyway…please review they make me happy! **

**-TwilightRaver-**


	3. Chapter 3

**So here's Chapter 3, I wanted to say thanks to **_**jaberjazz**_** again, **_**Blueiteaoure**_** (I would have replied to you personally but you are an anonymous review so I hope you are reading this now!), **_**mars1394, **_**and**_** Uchiha-Kirara**_**. Thanks. Also thanks go to everyone who read and added this story to their alerts!**

**Oh just to clear something up now, they have money they all do. They all come from pretty well off families…From upper middle class to high class. Alright on with the story.  
**

**Disclaimer: **Still not owning Naruto.

* * *

_"Oka__a-san!" The girl screamed as tears ran down her face._

_"Stop screaming. You know she's not home yet." The man said getting closer to the girl holding a belt in his hands. _

_"Don't touch me! I'll tell my mom!" She yelled at him. He laughed at her. _

_"Who do you think she's going to believe? You the little girl that tried with all her might to break us up or me, the man that gave her a reason again." _

_"You can go burn in—" And the hell begins. _

Sakura jumped in her seat, she rubbed her face and leaned her head against the window. She couldn't help but let out a sigh, it was like no matter what she did that man would be haunting her dreams. Why didn't she run away sooner? Why didn't she tell her mother? That's right; she was always at the hospital or she was too tired to talk. Sakura's musings ended when the boy next to her caught her attention.

"Sakura." He said staring at her intently. She lifted her head and looked at him.

"Yes, Sasuke-kun?" She asked.

"Are you ok?" Sasuke asked. Sakura blinked a few times, trying to get rid of the shock that Sasuke had asked about her wellbeing. She smiled and put up a peace sign.

"Everything's fine Sasuke-kun. Why wouldn't it be?" Sasuke shook his head and frowned before his name was called from behind them.

"Sasuke-teme!"

"What is it now, dobe?" He asked.

"How much longer?" Naruto asked peering from above the seat. "Ah, Sakura-chan you're awake now. Teme didn't wake you did he?" He said glaring at the raven haired boy. Sasuke glared back, causing Sakura to shake her head at the two boys.

"There's about an hour left." Sasuke answered looking away.

"Sasuke didn't wake me Naruto…Is Hinata still sleeping?" Sakura asked peering over to seat as well now.

"Hi Sakura-chan." The shy Hyuuga said when seeing the pink haired girl.

"Hello Hina-chan." Sakura replied smiling at her.

"This is the longest ride of my life!" Naruto said falling back into his seat only to have the person behind him kick it. "What the hell? Why'd you do that for Neji?" Naruto asked turning to look at the boy.

"Hn. You're being loud. Shut up." Neji told the boy. Naruto pouted and turned back around.

"You're so mean Neji." Tenten said giggling slightly.

"Though I do agree with him." The two looked at the person that said it. "Naruto being so loud is very…" Ino started.

"Troublesome?" Shikamaru questioned lazily.

"As much as I hate that catchphrase of yours…it fits." She said. No one said anything after that, all of them in their own little thoughts.

The eight teens wouldn't necessarily call themselves the best of friends. They were simply the people they went to school with since kindergarten and have made acquaintances with. By no means were they the elite group of kids at school. They all ran with their own _crowds_. But they all could agree with one thing, they felt alone in those groups of people.

Sasuke was the cool kid. People feared him, people loved him, people pitied him. It wasn't like he asked for the attention. Naruto was the clown, kids laughed at him, because of his jokes or because he was stupid, but he wasn't really stupid. Teachers punished him for his outburst. But Naruto didn't mind any of this he asked for the attention. Sakura was the goody good. Always following the rules, always being put in charged, always looking like she belonged. She felt anything but. And somehow those three managed to stay together in their own little way, even if it was just lunch at school or late hours on the phone.

Ino was popular, she always got her way. All girls wanted to be her, all guys wanted her. But she never let it get to her head. She may have been a flirt and even dare say a bitch at times, but she had other problems to deal with. And if smiling and laughing got her through it then so be it. Shikamaru, he's the genius and extremely lazy. Everyone knows that. But when his favorite teacher, the only teacher that seemed to show any interest in his life besides how smart he was passed away. Not even cloud gazing made the troublesome problems of life go away. And the blond girl next to him knew all too well. Even though they were on opposite ends of the spectrum of the social world they managed to get through it together even for just a little.

Hinata doesn't know what she is other than a Hyuuga. She does well in school, she stays out of trouble, she's part of the student council, but it's still not enough for her father it seems. When her favorite teacher left to go on maternity leave everything seemed to get worse stress wise and she just couldn't take it any more. Neji should know his place, he's been put there since the death of his father but over the years he's acted like it doesn't bother him his father's death that is, by joining sports, and doing martial arts to release most of his angry. But only so much can be done especially when your accused of so much at home, it's wonder he hadn't gone homicidal on people yet. Tenten, the tomboy into all kinds of sports, even guy sports simply because she was good, there was no denying it. When her father left her mother Tenten hated more and more to be home so she joined more sports, because who wants to be around someone who drinks away all their sorrows? Neji kept people from walking over Hinata, Tenten kept Neji grounded, and Hinata encouraged them both to never give up.

Their silence was broken by the announcement made by the bus driver. "We will be arriving in Suna in about twenty minutes." People on the bus, though there weren't many began to grab things off of the top compartment, while the eight sat there still as quiet as before, more tense.

"No turning back now." Naruto mumbled, but everyone heard him. Sasuke scoffed.

"That was determined the moment we left our homes dobe."

"Do you guys think everything will be ok here?" Tenten asked. She'd seen to movies and read the stories...The past always caught up.

"It couldn't possibly get worse..." Hinata answered.

"Troublesome...Never say that. It just might."

"Don't be such a pessimist Shikamaru." Ino said.

"Hn. Only looking to the good side of things will only hurt you." Neji told them. The bus was slowing down.

"It doesn't matter... Are you guys ready?" Sakura asked as the bus had finally came to a stop. They all stared out the window at the overly cheerful sign. _Welcome to Suna._

* * *

**Hm...Do I actually like this chapter? Not so much, but I couldn't make it better no matter how hard I tried. That's why it took so long to update, plus school stuff. I swear the teachers at my school are useless, they just get enjoyment of making students extremely stressed. **

**Anyway... I hope _you_ at least enjoyed this chapter. **

**So please, please review! **

**Love forever,  
TwilightRaver**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 is here. I'm in a not so fantastic mood. But I'd like to thank everyone that reviewed and that added this story to their favorites and alerts. That truly makes me happy and makes me want to write more. ^^**

**So I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Naruto I would most likely not be sitting down at this computer right now writing this disclaimer.

* * *

The eight teens stood there on the streets of Suna. The streets were busy with people heading home from their long days at work, to eat and spend time with their families (It's around 5:00pm now). Which is typical even for people that live in Konoha...The eight took in Suna, it was different from Konoha. In Konoha it was always so bright with their trees and their flowers and there was a difference between the seasons. In Suna there was difference between summer and fall, fall and winter, winter and spring. It was all the same and it was always hot, but the cool breeze and the beach(1) made up for it.

They all stood their quietly not really knowing what to say to one another. Were they suppose to split up into the groups that they had ran away in or do they stay together.

"So um...See you around..." Sakura said awkwardly. There were a few grunts and shuffling as some of them began to leave, but one person stopped them all.

"Wait!" She called.

"Ino, what are you doing?" Shikamaru asked the blond next to them. Ino lifted her bag more onto her should before crossing her arms.

"I don't think we should split up." She said finally. From many of the looks she was given it was proof she needed to have a reason why. Ino sighed her hands falling to her sides. "I know, I've been pretty mean to probably all of you in the last I don't know five years? But I don't think we should split up, what if something happens? And to be quite honest, I really want to get to know some of you again..." No one said anything for awhile as they looked at her. She was right about one thing...She was pretty mean to them, even Shikamaru thought this.

"Is Ino-pig getting soft on us?" Sakura teased her old friend. Ino smirked and shook her head.

"I would like to get to know everyone again as well." Hinata said quietly.

"Yeah! I say we stick together!" Naruto yelled causing a few people on the street to stare at them.

"Shut the hell up dobe." Sasuke said bonking the boy on the head.

"Hn. Idiot. I really don't care what we do." Neji said.

"I'm all up for this whole staying together thing." Tenten said a smile on her face.

"So we're staying together?" Ino asked. Some of them grunted while some nodded vigorously. Well all but one. Ino looked up at the brunette next to her. "Well?" she inquired. Shikamaru looked down at her.

"Troublesome woman. Really think I'm going to wonder this town by myself. You're out of your mind."

"Is that a yes?" Tenten asked her eyebrow raised. Shikamaru sighed but nodded.

"Now that that's settle...We need someplace to stay." Sakura said. Suddenly Naruto and Sakura looked at the Uchiha. He raised an eyebrow.

"What?" Sakura looked away, but Naruto smiled and placed an arm around his friend's shoulder.

"We know you had a vacation house here, teme." Naruto said his voice sounding almost apologetic. Sasuke's hands clenched slightly, he didn't want to go there. In fact he hadn't been there since his parents died. But it was better than renting a hotel room.

"Hn. It's a long walk from here."

* * *

The old Uchiha vacation home hadn't changed much from what Sasuke remembered, the only difference was that the yard wasn't kept nice like it used to and it was eerily silent.

"How exactly are we going to get in?" Sakura asked as they all stared at the home. Sasuke pulled some keys out of his pocket. Just because he hadn't been there in a long time, didn't mean he still didn't have the key.

Sasuke opened the door and looked around the place, just the same as it had been since he was young. The only difference now was that it was dusty. Really dusty. Hinata being the last one in closed the door.

Everyone looked around the main room. Completely furnished, and there were pictures of the family and of the boys when they were younger grades. Sasuke looked away from the dusty pictures, he'd do something with them later.

"There is one bedroom down that hall, and four bedrooms upstairs. I suggest we only use the ones upstairs, each room only has one bed... So pick your roommate." Sasuke said.

"Sakura do you want to share a room with me?" Ino asked. Sakura shrugged, she didn't care. It wasn't weird for girls to sleep in the same bed.

"Tenten and I will share then." Hinata said. The four guys stood there.

"I'll share a room with one of you, but I'm not sharing a bed." Neji said when none of them said anything. The girls giggled, they could ease the pain and share a room with a guy, but they'd rather not.

"I agree with Neji..." Shikamaru said sighing.

"Dobe, come help look for some extra blankets and pillows." Sasuke said walking up the stairs.

* * *

The rooms were finally settled, and after some time the girls got the guys to agree to switch between who slept on the floor.

"This sucks. Why do I have to sleep on the floor first." Naruto whined as Sasuke rummaged through things in the room, it was his old room after all.

"Shut up. You'll have the bed tomorrow." Sasuke said sitting on said object.

"Man I'm hungry..."

"We'll get something in the morning, dobe. You won't die from starvation will you?"

"I guess I won't..."

"Good because we weren't going out to get anything tonight." Naruto stuck his tongue out at him before laying down in his makeshift bed. Let's hope the morning came soon.

* * *

"It feels so strange being here." Ino said to Sakura as the pink haired girl lifted the window to allow the cool breeze in.

"It does..." Sakura said joining Ino on the bed. "But it feels more comforting."

"Yeah..." This was the first time that Ino had gotten a good luck at Sakura since arriving in Suna. The sleeve on Sakura's shirt was rolled up and Ino blinked a few times. "Sakura, what happened to your arm?" Sakura looked down and laughed nervously as she pulled the sleeve down.

"Oh that little thing. You know how clumsy I am Ino."

"Sakura, that _little thing_ is huge. There's no way you gave yourself a bruise that big, I don't care how clumsy you are." Ino said. Now that she thought about it, Sakura had gotten over her clumsiness a long time ago.

"Ino it's nothing really. I'll be more careful." Sakura said. "So how's life with the populars?" Ino cocked her head to the side. It wasn't nothing, and she knew it.

"People should really take a double look...It's not as great as it seems." And for some reason Sakura felt like it was more directed to her.

* * *

Tenten had gotten up before Hinata, mainly because her stomach growled like crazy so she decided to roam around the house. Tenten was surprised to see Neji sitting in the living room flipping through one of the family albums.

"Morning Tenten." Neji said not even looking at her.

"Good morning Neji. What are you doing up so early?" She asked sitting next to him.

"Couldn't sleep." He mumbled. Neji moved the album so that Tenten could see it as well.

"They look happy, eh." Tenten said. Neji nodded closing the book and standing. It wasn't until then that she noticed he was fully dressed.

"Want to go get some food?" He asked her. Tenten stood up so quick he wondered if she had some kind of superhuman speed.

"I'll be right back...Hey, what do think everyone else would want?" She asked. He shrugged they'd figure it out when they got to town.

* * *

Very slowly the teens began to leave their rooms, some not as quiet as others.

"That floor was killer! How did you sleep Shikamaru?" Naruto asked sitting on the couch in between Sakura and Hinata.

"You're joking right? It doesn't really matter, he'll sleep anywhere." Ino said. Shikamaru looked at her lazily, she had a point.

"Where's Neji and Tenten?" Sakura asked noticing that they missing. Hinata and Shikamaru shrugged. At that moment the door opened and the two missing people walked in with boxes of what was obviously hot food.

"Good morning everyone. We've returned with breakfast!" Tenten annouced as she headed to what was the dining room.

"You guys didn't have to do that." Hinata said.

"Hn. We were up."Neji said.

"Thanks." Sasuke mumbled as they all crowded around the table. They all ate in silence until Tenten spoke again.

"I was wondering if you guys wanted to go to the beach today."

"That would be so much fun!" Naruto exclaimed. Most of them discussed what they would do while out at the beach, but Sakura. Sakura didn't want to go to the beach not how she was at the moment. Not when she knew they would ask questions. But she didn't object to the idea.

* * *

**Um...End of Chapter 4. I'm not sure when my next update for anything will be. I'm starting to regress back to when I would panic because of all the school work, and the pressures of school itself. I have a Spanish oral and I've been challenged for my seat in orchestra. It's like I get over one mountain and another shows up. **

**You can help make me see that there is hope by leaving me a review and tell me how much you like this chapter! ^^**

**Happy Valentine's Day to everyone!**

**TwilightRaver  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 of Youth of the Nation! **

**Thank you to Uchiha-Kirara helping me with this chapter! I hope it came out alright! ^^ **

**And thank you to reviewers and readers!**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto.

* * *

Sakura did not want to go to the beach at all. She had her reasons to why she didn't want to go, but she simply could tell her friends that especially now that they walked around the small shops looking for bathing suits. Even if she did tell her friends what was going to tell them? _'Sorry I can't go to the beach with you guys, because that ass my mother married yeah he hits me. But don't worry, give me a few more days and you can barely tell.' _

Sakura sighed, that was not something she wanted to share with them. Besides they all had their own problems to deal with. Why else would they risk running away to Suna, which is one thousand miles away from Konoha. In all honestly Sakura didn't think that was far enough.

"Yo Sakura...Ino wants to know if you like this?" Tenten asked showing Sakura a pink bikini. Sakura inwardly cringed. _'Too much skin.'_ She thought.

"It's cute, she should get it." Sakura answered.

"Forehead, pink isn't my color. You should get that." Ino said walking over to her with Hinata following.

"I'm not sure...It shows a lot of skin." Sakura mumbled. Ino turned and pulled out a pink tankini instead.

"Then what about this one." Ino asked showing it to her. _'There's no way of getting out of this...'_ Sakura thought grabbing the material.

"This one is a little better...I'll get it." She said smiling. Hoping that the smile looked real, but the look on Ino's face told her different. After buying the bathing suit the girls headed back to house, seeing as the guys hadn't taken nearly as long as they had and even offered to buy some food.

Upon entering the house the girls froze seeing as how clean it was. Either they imagined the whole thing or the guys actually cleaned the place.

"Hello?" Hinata called stepping further into the home. A moment after calling, foots steps could be head coming down the stairs.

"Oi! The girls are here!" Naruto yelled. "Did you see how clean the place is?" Naruto asked then as though he was in shock himself.

"How long have we been gone? This must have taken forever." Tenten said running a finger over a table.

"Three hours." The girls looked to see Neji walking down the stairs to stand next to Naruto.

"So troublesome...It's not like you actually bought much of anything either." Shikamaru said joining them.

"Did you even help clean?" Ino asked.

"They made me." He replied yawning.

"Where's Sasuke?" Sakura asked. As if on cue Sasuke walked out of the back room his hands stuffed in his pockets.

"Hn. You took long enough." He stated stopping in front of them.

"Yeah sorry about that...We couldn't decide on what to get." Ino said. "But it was all worth it." She added with a smile.

"Will be leaving soon?" Hinata asked.

"If we still plan on going today." Neji said. Sakura stood there quietly hoping that someone would speak up and say that they'll wait for tomorrow or maybe a week from now.

"Of course we're going today! Come on let's go get ready!" Ino said running up the stairs. Sakura sighed her bangs fluttering slightly before she walked up the stairs as well.

* * *

Sakura sat on the sand with her legs hugged tightly to her chest. She wore a sweater a size too big and a pair of work out shorts. She watched as her friends...should she call them that?...As they laid out in the sand or played in the water.

Hinata and Naruto built a sand castle like two small children.

ITenten, and Neji were in the water having some kind of water fight, seemed some what onesided to Sakura.

Shikamaru laid in the sand staring up at the clouds in the sky...Sakura hoped his was wearing sunblock, but knowing Ino she probably put it on him herself like a mother does for a child. While Ino was laying besides him on a towel tanning as she flipped through a magazine she just _had_ to have.

And Sasuke? Sakura wasn't sure where he went. The sudden shade caught her attention though. She looked up to see the missing boy he had speckles of water on his skin.

"Sakura...It's hot. Why are you wearing that sweater still?" He asked looking down at her with all that mighty. Something she figured only Uchiha's and Hyuuga's could do.

"Ne, it's not that bad." She lied. Sakura was burning she wish she could be in that water at the moment cooling off. Sasuke only stared down at her. "Stop looking at me like that, Sasuke..." She said.

"What happened to your arm?" Sakura looked down at her arm to see that the shoulder of her sweater had fallen down. She pulled it back up before looking at him again.

"You know how clumsy I can be." She answered hoping he'd let it be. Why was he so concerned anyway? As long as she had known him, not once had he ever cared to know things about her.

Sasuke studied her for a few moments before frowning. "Why _did_ you decide to leave Konoha, Sakura?" He asked. Sakura frowned this time. Had he really seen through her lie like Ino? Or had Ino put him up to this? Knowing that she'd be more willing to talk to Sasuke than her. And that thought pissed Sakura off.

"That's none of your damn business." She spat. The Uchiha shrugged slightly as he looked away toward the others playing.

"This is the _only_ _family_ any of us are ever going to have." He muttered before walking away and studying the sand castle Naruto and Hinata made. He said something and Naruto flicked him off.

Sakura pulled her legs closer if that was even possible. She thought about telling them...but she wasn't sure. Her trust had been tested so many times before.

* * *

"Sakura you should have been in the water with us! It was great." Tenten said as the group walked back to the house the sun was setting and they were all pretty tired.

"Not to mention gotten a wonderful tan." Ino added.

"I could see that. I just wasn't much in the mood. Maybe next time." Sakura answered.

"I was going to throw you in the water, but teme and Ino-chan wouldn't let me." Naruto said pouting slightly. Sakura looked at the two of them but didn't say anything.

"That was alot of fun...We should go back again some day soon." Hinata said breaking the silence.

"The sun was too troublesome." Shikamaru said as though that was a great reason as to not go to the beach.

"Is that all you ever do is complain?" Neji asked.

"When he's not sleeping? Yeah." Ino answered.

"Hn. You have some serious issues, Nara." Sasuke mumbled as they got to the house.

"Eh, don't we all." Shikamaru replied with a yawn entering the house. It got silent in the group once again just before everyone split up to go get washed up.

* * *

The eight teens sat at the table eating some chicken and rice (1), courteous of Hinata.

"Wow Hinata-chan! This is really good! Where did you learn to cook like this?" Naruto asked as he placed some rice in his mouth.

"Thank you Naruto-kun. I used to spend a lot of my time in the kitchen." She answered a smile on her face. It was quiet at the table as they ate the foods on their plates.

Sakura picked at her chicken. It wasn't that she didn't like it. It was that something was picking at her. Ever since the beach and talking to Sasuke...She'd been bugged constantly. His words about family in particular. He seemed reluctant to say them, but did even so and that made her think a lot. Think about why...Why did they run way? Why did they stick together? Why do they seem like they've known each other for years...Yet known nothing about them.

Sakura dropped her fork on her plate. "Hey you guys." Everyone stopped and looked at her. "I was wondering...Why did you guys leave Konoha?" She asked finally. Some forks dropped dramatically onto plates while some were set down calmly. From the corner of her eye, she could see Sasuke looking at her ever so slightly. And from the other Ino.

"I guess if I want to know...I should start, huh?" When no one answered, she nodded to herself and pulled the shoulder of her shirt down to reveal the purplish bruise that two had already seen unintentionally. "My step father did this...It's not the worse he's ever done and it's the least painful. Four years ago, my father passed away and then a year later...My mother remarried. I never liked this man. I tried in all my power to break them up and stop the wedding, but it was futile.

"The moment my mother wasn't around...He hit me pretty hard. And I tried to tell my mom...but she didn't listen. She believed every little thing he fed her. She didn't even believe the bruises...Saying that I was just a clumsy fool and needed to grow up." Sakura paused for a moment. "The night I ran away, I pissed him off...Like aways but this time...I feared my life and I needed to get out of there. I couldn't trust anyone, no one would believe me, so I left...And that's why I'm here. That's why I didn't want to take off that sweater."

No one said anything or moved any. What do you say to something like that? _I'm sorry?_ No, because that would not make it better. Sakura for one however felt better. So much better, now they knew something about her.

"My mother's an alcoholic." Heads turned to look at Tenten, but her head was bent staring at her almost empty plate. "When I was ten I watched my father and my mother argue. My father wanted my mother to get help and stop drinking, but she denied she had any problem. Once night the argument got pretty heated blood is on the carpet and my father is missing a pinky finger...I'm sure you've heard the stories...But the true one is, my father left that night his hand bandaged, and I've never heard from him since. He went all witness protection on us.

"I hate him for leaving me with her. For not taking me with him. My mother doesn't give a damn about me. The only time she cares is when she doesn't have a drink in her hands. So at this very moment...She must be freaking out because she doesn't have her hourly fix." Tenten finished and she too felt a little better. Just a little.

"Ever since I could remember I've been left alone." This time they all looked at Naruto. His voice shocking them. Never had they heard him sound so calm. "My parents gone leaving me with some nanny or another. I won't lie and say I wasn't a tyrannt, because really what else is a child to do when they want recognition from his parents? I acted out at home, getting nanny after nanny fired. I acted out at school causing pranks only to have my mother's or my father's secretary come in to talk to the principal."

"There was a time when I thought I didn't have any parents. Where I thought they were imaginary and I made them all up. I left Konoha because I was sick or sitting in an empty house. Sick of being a in a place were my parents acted as though I was not there. Sick of acting like it didn't bother me. I'm angry and I want them to know what it's like to be missing something." He finished his bright blue eyes clouded.

"My father always pushed me to do hard, but the only problem with that is that...That's exactly what I did. I'm in so many clubs, so many activities, but yet I'm just not good enough." Hinata's quiet voice said some had to strain to hear her. "My grades are high. I'm top of my class after Shikamaru and Neji that is. My father never let me live that one down. All because he wants me to head the company one day. Sounds great, but I don't want to. I've told this to my father numerous amounts of times, but it falls on deaf ears."

"I suggested to him to let Neji head the company when it was necessary, because in all honesty he was so much better at it than me. More intimidating. More likely to get what he wants for the company. But my father wouldn't hear it. He wouldn't even consider it, accusing Neji of bullying me for the job. But that's not it at all. I needed to get away from Konoha and away from my father's authority. And I don't regret it and for the first time in my life...I'm not scared of what happens." No one had ever heard Hinata sound so bold, it was as though she too had a little bit of hate in her, but was that possible?

"My mother died when I was really young. Then when I was five my father died and I've lived with my uncle since. Even at a young age, I could tell my uncle didn't like me. I grew angrier as time went on, mainly because everything I did was praised by everyone else but my uncle...It was a failure to him everytime. After a while, I just stopped fighting back. I stopped arguing and stopped defending myself. I figured why should I when he wouldn't believe me anyway. Others think we're so perfect, that to be a Hyuuga is an honor, but they aren't the ones living in that house."

Neji had never talked so much in his life, well most of them had never heard him say so much.

"It's all so troublesome, my parents are fighting more than usual and my mother is winning all of the fights, which isn't unusual. But through it all, my parents seemed to have forgotten about me. Many would think that's great for me, since I always want to be left alone anyway so I can sleep. But when you actually hear them say things like 'Don't call again unless he's in a body cast', really can get to a person. But whatever, it's too troublesome to dwell on anyway." Shikamaru finished with a sigh, wishing he had the sky to look at, at that moment.

"My parents aren't talking to one another." Ino said. "I'm not even sure what happened, I just know that one day I come home and my dad and mom were talking about divorce, and then after that moment...They stopped talking. The tension in my house is so much that I could cut it with a knife. It gets so bad sometimes they'll start using me as like some damn telephone. 'Ino tell your father this...' 'Ino tell your mother that...' I'm sick of it. It's like I'm the grown up in the house. It's like they don't see that it hurts me to see them like that."

Everyone pretended not to notice that Sasuke's hands clenched into fists.

"Hn. You all know the story." Was his only reply. Naruto frowned but didn't push it any, he knew better they all did.

No one said anything and the moments passed by slowly.

"Hey, how do you keep a blond busy for hours?" Naruto asked breaking the silence, that goofy grin on his face. They all looked at him weirdly. "Write 'Please turn over' on both sides of a piece of paper." He said. Some of them cracked a smile.

"Dobe...You are blond." Sasuke said. Naruto smiled even more.

"Well teme...I was talking about Ino-chan."

"NARUTO!" Ino shrieked. The mood at the table lighten not by much, but at least the storm cloud was slowly being blown away.

* * *

**(1)-Why chicken and rice? That's my favorite dish that my grandma makes...And I really wanted some while writing this. ahaha.**

**Well you guys, that is the end of this chapter...I really don't like it, but I hate writing a chapter then having to start all over again just because _I _****don't like it. This is also the longest chapter I've written it's about 3,000 words...Accomplishment?**

**Please review! Reviews make me happy and give me a reason to update. **

**I'll love you forever!!!!**

**-TwilightRaver**


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